This is the most important thing in Milind Soman’s fitness routine

Sure working out is important. But what you should know is that what you do when you aren't exercising is even more so. The nutritional value of your diet and your sleeping habits are crucial for your overall health and also for your exercise to pay off. Just ask Milind Soman, the man who's living the life you can only dream of. Turns out that while exercising and eating right are indeed two very important things in his fitness routine, the most important one, according to Soman, is something all of us love -- sleeping! "Sleep is the number one priority for me even today. After that, there is food. And the last is exercise, which is the easiest," he told us.

By sleeping, you give your body the time it needs to recover after all those hours in the gym. Interestingly, regular exercise also helps you sleep better. So, really, this is a win-win. Why is it, then, that you can never manage to turn off the lights even when you know you'll wake up groggy and sulky? "In urban life today with so much technology, there is always the risk of not getting enough sleep. Because we are immersed in technology," he explains. He feels that timing is everything - you can watch as many shows on Netflix as you want, but whether you watch them in your free time or all night long depends on your mental discipline.

"We need to have the mental discipline to switch off so that we can get rest - not only physical rest but mental rest as well," says Milind. Your brain, like the rest of your body, needs and deserves some rest. Not allowing it that opportunity defeats the purpose of working out.

Whether you run from city to city like Milind Soman or break a sweat on the treadmill every now and then, catching enough sleep can enhance your fitness levels. Milind, who sleeps for six hours every night, credits his fitness levels to his mental discipline of sleeping and waking up at the right time.